Carlo Grubacs

With Giorgio Cesaro Antichità;
From whom acquired in 2005.

The painting overall appears in lovely state. The canvas is unlined and stable and the paint surface is clean beneath a clear varnish. Faint stretcher bar lines are visible parallel to the upper and left edges but are in no way distracting. Inspection under UV reveals areas of retouching in the water and in the sky, particularly concentrated around the steeple at left, but this is not perceptible to the naked eye. The painting requires no further work and is ready to hang.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Carlo Grubacs,  the son of a merchant marine captain of eastern European origin, emerged in the early 19th century as one of the leading view painters in Venice. He received his training in the Accademia, where he enrolled in 1818, and where he absorbed the work of the great vedutisti of the preceding century—Canaletto, Guardi, and Bellotto. Though clearly indebted to these seminal artists, Grubacs approached view-painting through a contemporary lense that illustrated Venice in a more realistic and often-times unapologetic manner. As the three pictures by him on offer in this sale vividly illustrate, Grubacs captured the varied climatic, cultural, and architectural elements of nineteenth-century Venice with a highly realistic yet inviting approach to painting vedute.